


Enhanced

by daughterofstark



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Black Widow (Comics), Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-09
Updated: 2019-03-09
Packaged: 2019-11-14 15:50:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 6,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18055436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daughterofstark/pseuds/daughterofstark
Summary: What would the MCU be like through the eyes of a new Avenger? OC joins the Avengers and has a story of their own.





	1. Chapter 1

**Part** **One** \- **Assembled**

Jae opened her emerald green eyes, gazing at the ceiling. The girl laid in a twin-sized bed she had never seen before, much less slept in.

_Who am… where am…?_

The blond-haired girl stumbled to her bare feet, looking for any sign of something even remotely familiar.

Squinting at the apartment kitchen Jae had emerged into, Jae instantly spotted a paper pamphlet on the counter.

When Jae began to read the words, a headache stopped everything she was doing.

Gripping the blue-gray granite countertops for support, Jae closed her eyes in pain.

_How can I read, but not one memory of learning to read? What happened yesterday? I couldn't just have popped existence…_

The headache passed, and Jae continued to read the paper:

 

> I didn’t have much time to write this, but I still hope it will help you. From what I have observed, you have incredible powers that can both enhance you and others.
> 
> You may cause people who come in contact with your touch to be temporarily enhanced.The probability of you enhancing yourself is likely.
> 
> Your other powers include-
> 
> I don't have time. You don't have time. You must control your powers on your own.
> 
> Just… stick this key in a power outlet.
> 
> Or try to will an individual’s energy to come to you.
> 
> Good luck Jae.

_Jae. That's my name. Jae._

Jae read over the letter again, trying to puzzle out the symbol signed at the end. The lightning bolt design didn't ring a bell, so she dropped the paper.

The keys were obviously the keys to the apartment. Metal and on a keychain with the number twenty-one, Jae glanced at the keys, than the power outlet.

_This all seems wrong. Who would leave me here with that note, and this obscure task?_

Jae took the key, bent down and with a skeptical expression, stuck it into the power outlet.

With a shocking jolt of electricity, Jae’s arms were bursting with electricity. As she pulled away, the electricity stayed jumping around her forearms, glowing eerily.  

“Woah!” Jae exclaimed. The energy flickering on her arms seemed to burst out or hide in her arms at her will.

Another wave of confusion and pain overwhelmed Jae. Clutching her head, Jae tried to remember again what belonged in her past.

Nothing came to her, and the pain in her head passed once again.

With a shake of her head, Jae held her hand out to an unplugged lamp, and pushed the electricity at the plug.

The lamp lit up, but flickered off when Jae let go. She grinned, though Jae wasn't sure why, she knew that these powers weren't normal for people.

She was Enhanced.


	2. Chapter 2

Jae had the strangest feeling, perhaps even an instinct, after her sudden discovery. Following the feeling, she went straight to a drawer in the cabinets under the counter, like she had lived there before today.  In the drawer laid a laptop. 

The laptop opened to a login screen, the symbol that had signed the note appearing were a username usually was. 

Jae tapped her fingers against the keyboard, thinking.

Just like before, an impulse took over Jae’s actions, a password she couldn't repeat to even herself unlocking the profile. 

When the desktop appeared, files and images exploded on top of each other, covering the desktop.

Jae believed whoever had last used this profile wanted her to see this. Everything open that was now open had something to do with electricity, or with a base in New Mexico. As Jae realized she knew how to use the laptop perfectly she drew to a conclusion. 

Somehow, though her past was erased, it seemed as though her skills remained. 

Skimming the files, Jae began reading one about a group of people called S.H.I.E.L.D. and more specifically, a base in New Mexico, housing an object called the Tesseract. Jae smiled. After she had discovered this, Jae found that at the end of her address was the same state. 

New Mexico. 

~

With a sigh, Jae stepped outside her apartment, the laptop and letter along with other objects she scavenged from the apartment were in a bag at her hip. 

Conveniently, a motorcycle was parked outside of the complex. Jae started it with a burst of energy, and rode it with what seemed like second nature skills. 

Her first stop was to a storage unit, where she left the bag of her belongings. Jae hoped she would be back in at least a month (She paid for the storage compartment for one month), but not to return to her apartment. 

Jae then took off. The files had given her a basic location of S.H.I.E.L.D. base, and Jae would get as close as she could on motorcycle. 

~

After riding for several house into the evening desert on a poorly paved road, Jae abandoned the motorcycle.   

The building she presumed was the S.H.I.E.L.D. base was in sight, a lone box on the flat sandy horizon. None of the plants around the road were large enough to hide Jae, but scattered rocks worked well enough. Behind the largest one, she waited for the key factor in Jae’s plan to approach. It was possible it would never come, but Jae relied on her luck. 

Just when Jae began to doubt, a black car drove towards the base. Suddenly, on rolling over Jae’s surprise, the front tire blew out, sending the car to a stop. Jae smiled. Her plan, so far was working. Once the two men finally finished changing the tire, and shut their doors to start the car backup, Jae silently darted to the car, sliding under it. 

Before leaving her apartment, Jae had checked through the computer files for anything directly relating to her powers, where she found information on magnetizing. It hadn’t taken long for her to get the hang of magnetizing herself. 

Without any trouble along the way, Jae was inside the S.H.I.E.L.D. compound. Which was in total chaos. Though she was pretty sure she could have just strolled right into the massive evacuation, Jae stayed low and made sure no one got a glimpse of her. 

In the midst of the sea of people heading out of the building, three were heading the opposite direction. Jae quickly followed, assuming that if these three weren’t going out of the building, they were heading back to something important. Perhaps even a blue cube from outer space. If she was lucky. 

They eventually came to a room filled with a scientists, computers, and a blue light. The light was originating from an energy source Jae automatically recognized as the Tesseract. As she reached out to its power, Jae felt the enormous waves of energy being pushed out into some unknown target. The Tesseract was almost like herself, a self sustaining energy source, but much more powerful. 

Jae, staying low and hidden, watched as a man with dark features, wearing all black, and an eyepatch began asking questions to the scientists. 

_ He’s in charge, of course. That eyepatch is so… intimidating? Leader-like? Hilariously memorable? _

After watching for several minutes, Jae began to creep away. From what she could tell, this place was coming down any second now. Like before, Jae attached to the first car she saw. All of the cars were being filled and evacuated so Jae wasn’t concerned about being left behind. 

When the car did take off, Jae was slightly concerned. 

She had positioned herself exactly on the edge of the underside of the car, so she could watch who came into the car without being seen. Three men had gotten in, the one who Mr. Eyepatch (Jae’s nickname for Nick Fury.) had called Barton, the Doctor who had then said, ‘The hawk’ who was carrying the Tesseract, and an new comer, this one holding a powerful scepter and sitting in the trunk.

The car drove on, eventually arriving at an underground compound where the group in the car were met by a host of people.  Many lab devices see already set up, awaiting their arrival.

Jae remained under the car until she was sure no one was paying enough attention to see her dart behind several columns,  the shadows concealing her presence. From their she watched the busy group.

While debating what her next move was, Jae noticed Loki heading over towards her. At first she thought she had been discovered, but Loki one sat on the ground in front of her. He wasn't what caught Jae's interest.

It was his scepter that did.


	3. Chapter 3

Jae was entranced by the scepter, for it was so powerful. The blue crystal pulsed with so much energy, she was amazed that it wasn't about to explode. Slowly, Jae closed her eyes, and began to drain its power. 

After not even a second of draining, Jae could tell the power was different, unearthly even, so she hurriedly pushed the power back into the scepter, making it pulse slightly brighter.

Jae tried to slip deeper into her hiding spot. Whatever was powering the scepter was strong. Maybe even too strong for its wielder to use it to power the staff much longer.

Loki remained seated, so Jae leaned slightly closer, draining his energy. 

After a few seconds he whirled around, smiling his annoying, cocky grin. 

“No more than a few have snuck up on me.” Loki claimed, his eyes skimming the room. They faltered on the spot Jae was hidden, then kept moving.

His childish smile faded when Jae didn’t stop draining his energy. 

“How are you doing that?” Loki asked.

Jae didn't reply.

He turned to near Jae was hiding, losing his patience, an annoyed look crossing his face. “I know where you are, it would be wise to stop.”

“No,” Jae returned, stepping out of her hiding spot. “I believe it wouldn't be wise to stop. I’ve been watching you. I know what you've been doing.”

“Than you have a good reason to join me.”

_ Wait what? _

“Join you? Why would anyone be willing to join you?”

Loki took a step closer, his smug grin returning. “Because I’m going to win.”

Seeing where this was going, Jae swiftly kicked his side, dodging two swings of his scepter. The third swing cut down her lip, blood and pain swelling around it. 

_ That’s going to leave a scar. _

_ New tactic, not hiding what I am capable of. _

Electricity snapped and cracked at her fingertips, eliminating her features with an eerie glow. 

The golden scepter slashed at me, only to be rebounded in a crackle of electricity. 

The man with the bow came back in and froze. A line of electricity shot out at him, barely missing. Jae took a step away from her attacker, panting, and began draining the newcomers energy.

“You have much power. How did you get it?”

“I don't know. That's why I was snooping around when you came through the portal the Tesseract created. I've followed you since.”

“You're a clever, so why don't you want to join the winning side?”

“You just said it. I'm clever enough to see where your plan is going,”

“Good,” His next move surprised her for a moment, since Jae hadn’t seen what scepter could do. Instead of attacking, pressed the scepter tip to her heart.

It felt like Jae was draining scepter again, so Jae pushed the energy back, refusing to lose control. 

Loki’s grin dissolved.

“How?” he breathed, disbelief overwhelming his features. He swept Jae's feet from under her with his staff, then pressed the tip harder into her.

The overwhelming power seeped into her, and this time Jae wasn’t quick enough. 


	4. Chapter 4

Without a single hint of resistance, Jae followed Loki out of the room. She had suddenly slipped into an over abundance of loyalty to one person. The wielder of the scepter.

Before Jae could think about what she was doing, she had boarded a jet to S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Helicarrier, with Agent Barton, and several other fighters. Jae leaned against the wall. 

“Head to the main power generator.” Agent Barton commanded. “It will be near our landing spot. Drain it.”

“Will do,” Jae replied. 

As Jae made her way to the power generator, Jae sent bolts of electricity into anyone who attempted to stop her. One agent began running down a corridor, saying, “We have an Enhanced with electricity based powers heading towards the fourth sub-level. Five agents are down.”

“Agent P-” The com was cut off when Jae drained the electricity out of it, as well as the energy from the carrier. 

When Jae started draining the generator, she realized that it was impossible to drain the energy as quickly as it was created, but damaging it was an option. With her powers, Jae overloaded the power generator with all she had, causing many lights and controls to burn out. Now Loki and his troops could walk through any door they wished, without a code, since they were now all open.

That was when Thor showed up. 

Jae put up a shield of electricity around herself, facing Thor. He brought his hammer down on the shield, and was rebounded backwards. Three S.H.I.E.L.D. agents joined Thor, and Jae morphed the small shield into electric prisons around the attackers. As the prisons crept closer on their captives, the good part inside Jae seemed to overpower whatever Loki wanted her to be. As she saw herself about to kill another, and it went against something Jae knew she would never do, though she didn’t know why or how she knew it. 

Letting the electricity fade back into her, Jae’s eyes went from the cold ice blue back to her natural yellow-green. With her head beginning to pound, Jae fell to her knees. 

“I’m sorry,” Jae breathed, before slumping to the ground, unconscious. 


	5. Chapter 5

Jae rubbed her temples, letting out a grunt. She was sitting in a chair inside a small containment cell.

_ Why did I let Loki near me? This all could have been prevented if I hadn't let myself follow him. And that stupid scepter…  _

“Who are you?” Someone suddenly asked.

Jae looked up, noticing a red-haired woman leaning on the cell wall, her arms crossed.

“A fifteen-ish year old girl with no past and weird powers.”

“How did you find Loki?” 

“I’ve been tracking S.H.I.E.L.D.. I was in New Mexico when Loki came. I secretly followed him, and when I was stupid enough to talk to Loki, her used his scepter on me. Like B- Barton, was it?”

She raised an eyebrow, “That information is classified.”

Jae snorted, “I already know most of it. Loki wasn’t lying when he told you Barton talked about you. All of you, actually.”

“Want do you want from S.H.I.E.L.D.?”

“I just want to know why I'm like this. Why I can't remember anything before two or so weeks ago, why freaking aliens are planning to attack Earth in less twenty-four hours.”

“So he did tell you his plan,”

“Mostly. He has a group of alien-things planning to rage war against Earth, starting with New York, and he is using the Tesseract to open the portal.”

“Why are you telling me this? Why are you so open?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m on your side. Ask Barton, he was there! I fought Loki, and resisted his scepter the first time, then wasn’t strong enough the second go around.”

The door to the cell opened, and a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent stepped inside.

“Agent Barton is waking up,” he reported. 

Black Widow nodded, and as she walked out, Jae fried the cell’s camera by overloading the electricity flowing into it. Jae strolled to the door, studying the lock. It was electric, activated by some S.H.I.E.L.D. identification.

_ Just shocking it should work… _

The door slid open, and Jae exited the cell, walking towards the closest power source. She soon realized that it was inside someone. And not just anyone, Tony Stark. Jae watched as he made repairs to his Iron Man suit. Tony glanced up to where the girl stood, giving her a half smile. 

“Hello Miss Sparks,” he greeted, then elaborated at her raised eyebrow. “Your hands.”

Jae glanced down to find her hands were indeed sparking little blue crackles of electricity.

“Natasha said you would escape easily, but she wanted to see what you would do afterwards. So, any twisted feelings telling you to kill me? Is that what brought you here?”

Jae gazed at Stark for a moment then realized he wouldn’t attack. 

“Your energy sources,” Jae pushed a bit of electricity into the Arc-Reactor in the Iron Man suit and in Tony’s chest so they glowed. “I sensed them generating energy, and it wasn’t the main generator, so I thought I could use a kickstart of electricity.”

“And what can you do?” Stark questioned.

“I’m a bit like the Tesseract, since I can create energy from within myself.” Jae flashed electricity in her hands to demonstrate. “But I can also take electricity out of other sources.”

“You were dropping people with a glance, how’d you manage that?”

“Want a demonstration?” Jae’s eyes glowed, signaling her powers draining Stark’s energy. 

“Now that’s just creepy,” Stark still smiled, but seemed more wary of Jae's powers. He turned his gaze down at the suit in front of him.

“You better get moving,” Jae recommended, “Loki’s going to use the Tesseract on Stark Tower. Once he starts it up, the Tesseract won’t be able to be touched, destroyed, or shut down.”

“We need everyone we can get to stop him then?”

Jae nodded, and Stark looked back at her, “Could your powers maintain a suit like this?”

With a pop, Tony pulled out the Arc-Reactor, and Jae placed her hand where it was, steadily pushing electricity into the suit.

Tony then increased the electricity the suit required, explaining what the amounts of electricity would do in the suit. 

“Can you hold that level of electricity?” He asked.

“Easily,” I return.

“Then you’ll be suiting up with the rest of us.”


	6. Chapter 6

Jae magnetized herself to the back of Iron Man, as he flew to Stark Tower. Iron Man slowed near the base of the building, dropping Jae off to find the Iron Man suit she would spray paint, then wear in the battle.

_That will hopefully never happen._

On the fifth floor, several Iron Man suits were being built, and Jae easily spotted the one that had the most progress. It was nearly complete, with the lack of an Arc-Reactor, coloring, and the bottom half of the helmet.

When Jae finished her paint job, the silver suit had a black and navy blue lighting bolt on the helmet and torso, and certain layers of the suit were black or blue as well. Jae put the helmet over her head, and a voice crackled in her ears.

“Hello, Jae,” greeted a low man’s voice, with a slight Welsh accent. A backup JARVIS is Tony’s ever failed. “Incoming call from Tony Stark.”

“Accept it, Storm,” Jae replied.

“Sparks!” Tony called. “Get out here, you artist.”

“Go it,” Jae returned, and used the suit to fly out of Stark Tower, crashing out a window. The situation had twisted so drastically, Jae was stunned for a moment. A massive wormhole had opened over Stark Tower, and aliens were flying out of it, attacking everything in sight.

“Oh. That army,” Jae muttered to herself. “Would have been nice to have a heads up, Loki.”

The fight went on, the other Avengers arriving, and when Black Widow could close the portal, another plan unfolded.

“Stark, that’s a one way trip,” Captain America said.

“What? No, wait, what if I put an electric shield around it? I could contain the explosion.”

Suddenly, Tony’s face appeared on my helmet’s screen. “Hey. I need you on top of Stark Tower, to catch any energy from the explosion that leaks through the portal. I’ll try to hit something far enough back, but be prepared.”

“Stark… I could do it. I could power my suit better for the way back.”

“No, Sparks, you’re important, and powerful, and you can’t take this risk. I can’t-”

From the top of Stark Tower, Jae watched as Iron Man entered the portal, not coming out.

“Close it,” Captain America says quietly, with a hint of resentment.

Black Widow looked at Jae, who nodded. Black Widow swiftly stabbed the Tesseract and the portal begin to close.

_This victory only comes from a-_

A gold and red blur fell from the last glimpse of the portal.

“He’s alive,” Jae sighed, then realized the blur of Iron Man wasn’t slowing down, or showed any sign of stopping. Jae sensed a very low level of energy coming from him, the levels people had when-

“He’s unconscious!” Jae called, flying toward the falling hero, when the green mass of Hulk caught Iron Man in midair.

He was alive, and the Avengers, against all odds, had won.


	7. Chapter 7

After the end of the battle of New York, all that was left to do was return Thor and Loki to Asgard. And eat Shawarma, of course, at Tony’s request.

The media was going insane, it was almost like aliens had landed on earth, or something. Everyone, the U.S. government, New Yorkers, celebrities, had an opinion on what the Avengers were, and how to deal with the events following the battle. 

Jae, on the other hand, was too busy trying to figure out her life to pay attention to the debates over the Avengers. She had talked to Nick Fury, trying to find anything about her past, and came up with nothing. Then, after a bit a debating, Jae decided to hang around Stark, helping were she could. Jae was going to keep her identity, or rather, The Enhancer’s identity, a secret. She wanted to be able to walk around New York without being swarmed by everyone who knew she was an Avenger. 

Jae gazed out of the window of the Avengers Tower, confident that whatever would happen couldn’t take her down, for she wasn’t just enhanced. 

She was the Enhancer.

_ End of Assemble _


	8. Chapter 8

**Part Two - Age of Fear**  


Hydra’s Sokovia base was protected by an energy shield, a castle wall, and an army of Hydra soldiers, but none of these phased Jae. Not at all. In her Enhancer suit, Jae flew over the base, scanning for the easiest entrance. This base should be the final destination of the Avengers’ hunt for Loki’s scepter.

“Jae, what do you see?” Tony asked, his voice coming from an earbud.

“North side, second floor. I can keep a slit in the shield open for you.” Jae replied.

Using her powers, Jae absorbed the electricity from part of the shield. Ironman flew through the opening, and Jae followed. The shield closed behind the two, who then entered a command room. They began searching for info on the scepter.

“I can feel the energy from the scepter,” Jae stated. “It’s… below this room.”

“There’s an air current coming from over here,” Tony replied. “Please be a secret door.”

Jae chuckled, then watched as Tony found a secret door. “Holy crap. You actually got a secret door.”

“Hydra just made my day,” Tony replied. 

The two walked down a flight of stairs, and found a room filled with remnants of the battle of New York. Jae glanced over at Tony, for she knew that the memory of what had happened in New York had taken a toll on him.

“The scepters in here,” Jae muttered. “We should be in and out.”

Tony nodded. Jae began walking around the machinery. Hydra was obviously trying to match the power that the Chitauri had brought to Earth. The knowledge actually frightened Jae. Hydra merely having Loki’s scepter was unsettling enough, but what they were doing with it only made it worse. Jae hated the scepter with all her being, for it had the ability to take over another’s mind. No matter what Thor said, Jae wanted to destroy the scepter the first chance she got.

As she searched for the scepter, Jae sensed a strange energy approaching her. Jae spun around, finding a girl with red hair and red energy swirling around her hands. Jae scattered the energy, and the girl gasped. As Jae was about to warn Tony, the girl sent a tendril of red energy at Jae’s head. The motion was too fast for Jae to counter, so Jae slipped into the illusion that the girl forced Jae’s mind to create.

Jae was imprisoned in a dark, circular room that was barely wide enough for her to stand in. Machines were attached to her arms and legs, preventing Jae from creating electricity. Jae couldn’t move. Afraid that she would run out of air, claustrophobia sit in. Jae tried to pull her arms free from the machines, frantically straining her arm muscles. Nothing happened. She was alone, trapped, and unable to do anything.

Someone knocked on the outside of the prison. “I can see why they’ve put you in there.”

Jae recognized Loki’s voice. Anger broiled inside Jae. Loki had been the reason the Avengers had been hunting down Hydra for the past month. Loki had messed with her mind, making her a different person, even to the point where she killed another for him. The fact still haunted Jae.

“You are a-”

“Don’t insult the only person who could get you out of that prison,” Loki snapped, and the walls of the room faded from black to clear glass. Jae’s eyes widened as she saw her surroundings.

She was standing in the middle of New York City, and nearly everyone she knew laid lifeless around her. Many of them had Lichtenberg figures covering their skin, while others still had electricity shocking through their bodies.

“You did this,” Loki hissed. “Your powers killed them all, because you couldn’t control them enough to stop it.”

“No,” Jae muttered back. “I would never lose control like this.”

“You’re a monster,” Loki spat. “You’re a bomb, waiting to explode. When you do, death follows.”

“You’re the monster,” Jae replied, refusing to let what Loki said be true. “You used your scepter on me, and made me do this, didn’t you?”

“You know where my scepter is. I do not have it any longer.” Loki returned. “Even so, you would still be the one to do this, even if I used the scepters power.”

“Who put me in here?” Jae asked.

“Stark and my brother. They tried to do it before it was too late, but you were to out of control for them to save anyone. Stark died to get you in there, though it did nothing. You killed him, along with all the others.”

“What is this? I swear I was just in Sokovia.” Jae stated.

“This is your future,” Loki replied. “This is what you will do. The stronger you get, the closer you come to this. There will be no stopping it.”

Jae suddenly returned to the room in Sokovia, all traces of Loki, New York, and the enhanced girl had vanished. Jae shuttered, stumbling. Stabilizing herself against a pile of Chitari armor, Jae shut her eyes and pushed the nightmare out of her mind. This enhanced had an awful but powerful ability. 

“The Enhanced was down here,” Jae reported, as she began returning to the entrance to the room. 

“I got eyes on the prize,” Stark replied.

“Get it before she does,” Jae ordered. “Then let’s leave.”

Jae watched as Tony dramatically grabbed the scepter, and before Hydra knew it, the Avengers were gone. 


	9. Chapter 9

From a balcony over the door to the lab, Jae looked over the room as the other Avengers tried to lift Thor’s hammer. She couldn’t help but laugh as not one of the Avengers could even budge the hammer. 

The flight back to Avengers tower on the Quinjet had been uneventful. Clint’s wound had been quickly healed by Dr. Cho. Thor had promised to stay for a victory celebration before he returned the scepter to Asgard.

Exiting the balcony, Jae was about to come join the group when she hear a sound coming from Tony’s lab. As she entered, Jae spotted a damaged Iron Legion Suit, and recognized the energy coming from the suit, for she had absorbed it once before, but while it was in a scepter. But now, the energy was alive, and not only did it pulse inside the Iron Legion suit, but Jae could feel the same energy inside herself. Apparently, she had not all returned the energy from Loki’s scepter.

“You’re not really an Iron Legion program, are you? You’re using its suit as a shell, whatever you are.”

“I am Ultron,” the suit said. “And you... you are an Enhanced, Jae Nora, Avenger.”

“All true,” Jae confirmed. “What do you want?”

“To bring peace to the world,” Ultron replied.

“And how do you plan to do that?” Jae asked, her posture slowly creeping into a defensive stance.

“By eliminating the Avengers,” Ultron replied bluntly. “Then Humanity.”

“That’ll bring peace?” Jae scoffed. “That’s extinction, not peace.”

“Humanity is causing the lack of peace in this world.”

“It’s also what’s causing the presence of life in this world.”

Ultron groaned. “You and the other guy. Neither can see what I see. You both could also stop me. But you have something of mine that he didn’t.”

Suddenly, Ultron’s voice rang in Jae’s head, though she didn’t really hear it. The voice came from inside her, and only she could hear it.  “Hmm, what- what happened to your memories? Where did you… oh,” Ultron went silent.

I feel to my knees, clutching my head. 

_ Get out of my head. _

“You’ve evolved, unlike the other Avengers. You could survive my plan, and protect others from it, but something holds you back.” Ultron paused for a moment, picking around Jae’s mind. “You’re afraid. You don’t want to risk hurting anyone. You don’t even know why you feel that way, because your memory has been tampered with, erased even. Do you want it back?”

_ What do you mean? How could you do that? _

“Like this,” Ultron replied.

Suddenly memories flooded into Jae’s mind, like a dam holding them all back had broken. Everything that had happened before she had awoke in the New Mexico apartment was now in place, though Jae viewed it through a haze.

Jae groaned clutching her head. “Stop.”

Jae could hear the Iron Legion suit walking away, and the energy that Ultron used to get in her head was sucked out of her. Jae gasped as she felt the energy pull away, and into the of the shell Ultron was using. It hobbled to the entrance to the lab, and Jae was in her own head. Jae’s mind mulled over the new memories. She tried to fit them together, to make them her own, but it was as if the memories were from another person. Someone who was not the person Jae was now.

The terrible headache that had formed when Ultron released Jae’s memory seemed painless compared to what followed. Jae was hit by memories of her parents, their dying screams coming from another room as she, Troy, and Owen literally ran for their lives. The pain of losses Jae hadn’t even known she’d experienced added to her pain.

Ultron turned, and shot repulsor beams at Jae’s surroundings. Jae curled into a ball, shielding her neck and head from the explosion. She remained on the ground, head throbbing. Jae could hear the fighting in the main room come to a close. One hand on her head, Jae pushed herself up. Clint Barton, A.K.A. Hawkeye entered the room, hurrying to Jae’s aid. 

“You hurt?” Clint asked, helping Jae to her feet. 

“Just scratches,” Jae replied. “I’m fine, was anyone else hurt?”

“Nothing serious,” Clint answered. “Yet.”

“Ultron got away with the scepter, didn’t he?” Jae asked, but she already knew the answer. She could no longer feel the energy that Loki’s scepter radiated.

“Yes,” Clint sighed, and the two entered into a room with the other Avengers. Tony and Bruce revealed what they had been doing with the scepter, and everyone began to search for possible locations for Ultron. With Tony’s knowledge, they narrowed the search down to one location.

Ultron was out for blood, and the Avengers were ready to give it to him.  


	10. Chapter 10

The Avengers arrived in West Africa, and all that followed was loss. Wanda, one of the new Enhanced, had messed with several of the Avenger’s minds, while the Hulk had caused countless dollars of damage in a nearby city. As Tony had said, the Avengers took a hit. 

Clint had taken the Avengers to a ‘safe house’, which was exactly what it sounded like. It was Clint’s family’s house, and for now, it was the only place for the Avengers to stay.

Jae was still dealing with the aftershock of having more than half of her life returned to her in an instant. The memories had revealed everything that Jae had been searching for about her past, including a living link to her parents. The link happened to be Nick Fury. So she called the former S.H.I.E.L.D. captain, giving away the Avengers’ location.

Nick Fury arrived soon after Jae contracted him. Fury met Jae in the Barton’s barn, where she was repairing her Enhancer suit. 

“Maria Hill informed me on what has happened with the Avengers in the past few days, but I expected that you have something she doesn’t know you want to tell me,” Fury  explained. 

Jae nodded. “I absorbed some of Ultron’s energy, not knowing he could use it against me. Ultron could use that energy to connect his mind to mine. The amount of energy was so small that he couldn’t do much but communicate with me, and access my thoughts and memories.”

“But he couldn’t control you like he controlled the Iron Legionaries?” Fury asked.

“Correct,” Jae replied. “But somehow, by having access to my mind, Ultron removed whatever barrier was keeping me from remembering my past. Now I know who my parents are.”

“Are you sure Ultron isn’t still using the energy to manipulate your memories?” Nick Fury inquired.

“Yes. I felt the energy move back to Ultron after he exposed it,” I answered. “Do the names Nicole Bradford and Bradley Nicolas ring any bells?”

Fury was silent for a moment, then he cursed. “I knew they would come back to haunt me.”

“So you did know them,” Jae stated. 

“Agent Nicolas was a member of S.H.I.E.L.D. who became a double agent, so S.H.I.E.L.D. could see what Hydra was planning.” Fury informed. “Agent Bradford was a skilled hacker and computer scientist S.H.I.E.L.D. recruited.”

“She was also a member of Hydra, who did the same job Bradley Nicolas did for you, but she spied for Hydra,” Jae added. “They were both double agents who they fell in love, for they were always together, no matter what side they were playing for.”

Fury nodded. “I only knew about Agent Bradford siding with Hydra at the end. She knew that Hydra was coming for her so she confessed it all to me. I provided a place for her to hide for awhile.”

“It worked, until we were compromised. Hydra attacked the house, killed my parents, but never found me or the two other children that stayed with us. They were the children of friends my parents made while they were with Hydra. Those friends had been killed a year or two before my parents were.”

“S.H.I.E.L.D. searched the house several hours after your parents died. We found your parents bodies, as well as evidence that a child had lived at the house. We couldn’t find the kid, so we assumed Hydra had taken or killed them.” Fury replied.

“I was long gone by then, and a year later I was in New Mexico, with no memories,” Jae added.

“Do you know how you became an Enhanced?” Nick Fury asked. 

Jae nodded. “My parents thought that if I was Enhanced, I couldn’t be denied a position with S.H.I.E.L.D., and the prospect of an enhanced working for S.H.I.E.L.D. could be used as leverage so Nichole wouldn’t be punished for being a Hydra agent, so they took me to a scientist and doctor who claimed she could make anyone an enhanced for a price. She could do as she claimed. She enhanced me, and while I was with her company, I met several others she’s Enhanced.”

“Why haven’t I heard of this person? If she can Enhance anyone, why isn’t she more public about it?” Fury questioned. 

Jae responded. “The price isn’t money, it’s the reason one wants to be enhanced. This scientist will only enhance those who she deems worthy. Also, she is not easy to find. She always moving, changing her name, playing a new part.”

“Do you know her name?” Fury inquired.

“I only knew her by Miss Intensity,” Jae answered. 

“I’m sorry that I couldn’t save your parents,” Fury apologized.

“Their death isn’t what’s bothering me,” Jae confessed. “It’s like I’m a camera that was just inserted with an SD card filled with pictures I didn’t take. I loved and hated people before I forgot them, but now I don’t know how I feel about them. I had opinions then that are different now. Everything I know is conflicted. I thought I knew who I was, but now I don’t know.”

“I believe that Ultron did this to tear you apart like he did with the Sokovian girl’s powers to your fellow Avengers,” Nick Fury told. “You need to beat him at his own game. We all have changed from our childhood to now, in your case, very abruptly. No matter how fast we change, we can’t let it keep us from doing what’s right.”

“And right now that’s tearing Ultron apart?” Jae asked. 

“I like to think of it as trying to save the world,” Fury replied. 

Jae nodded as she heard Tony eneter the barn. 

“I should go,” Jae said. She let her suit form over herself, and exited the barn. 

She was ready to fight. 


	11. Chapter 11

One moment, the Avengers were helping the citizens of Sokovia evacuate. The next moment, Sokovia was floating above the earth, and the Avengers’ evacuation turned into a desperate battle against the army Ultron had created. Jae had to change how she fought. Absorbing the energy from the Ultron drones would only increase their power over her, so Jae only used her power over electricity in this battle. 

The Ultron drones weren’t attacking the people on the floating island of Sokovia, but they were attacking the Avengers, as well as anyone who came close to the church that housed the core of the machines Ultron had built. The machine that would drop Sokovia so fast and so high, it would cause global extinction. The clock was ticking, the Avengers could continue their evacuation, as well as destroy Ultron drones, but only until Sokovia reached the height required to wipe out humanity.

The Avengers found a new target. To destroy every bit of Ultron, so he would never accomplish his plan. And they came ever so close. But one functioning Ultron drone hit the core, sending Sokovia back down to earth. Jae was in the church when it did.

“Jae!” Stark called into the comm. “Get out!” 

“No!” Jae yelled back. “I’ll be fine! Stick to the plan!”

Tony didn’t reply for a moment. “Thor, Jae, now!” 

Jae and Thor sent as much electricity into the core as possible, causing it to explode. Jae formed a shield of electricity around herself, as she flew awake from the explosion. Thor was quickly flung backwards in the explosion before she could put a shield around him, and Jae lost track of him. She did see the Iron Man suit flying towards the Helicarrier. Jae followed, landing next to Tony. 

And Ultron had lost. But with Sokovia in ruins, and Pietro Maximoff dead, Jae still wondered:

Did the Avengers really win?

_ End of Age of Fear _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an unfinished fic.


End file.
